In doing some background work for our discipleship program in Uganda I reread something I wrote in the conclusion of my book The Foundations of Faith. I used a number of flying examples in that book and in the closing chapter I made the statement: But we won’t always need faith in order to fly. As I read that I was reminded of what was going on in my life when I wrote it. It was a very challenging time but through the writing process, the Holy Spirit reminded me of a great deal about faith that I had allowed myself to forget. Let me share that short piece with you.
“In conclusion I want to leave you with something the Lord told me that helps me keep my faith in perspective. He showed me that when we leave this earth, we will leave faith behind. We will not be taking it with us. Faith is only for here and now because it’s faith that fuels our journey toward our ultimate goal. It’s by faith that we learn and grow, become spiritually mature, and draw ever closer to our bridegroom. Without His faith, the faith He has given us, we couldn’t possibly endure and make it through this life. Without faith our hope would be lost and our journey would become nothing but mindless wandering. Like those in the world around us, our own weak faith would ramble through this world, searching for the missing piece that we need to fill the hole in our heart.”
But our Father has given us His Faith, the faith that can move mountains and silently lift a broken heart. As His Son’s bride we have the faith to reach out and provide the hope that will lift those broken hearts around us, and we have faith in the One who will provide all that we need to reach out.
Yes, faith is just for the here and now. It’s faith in Jesus that will get us through all of the tests and trials we have to face in this world that are but for one purpose, to draw us ever closer to our bridegroom. Our faith is powerful, strong, mighty, and enduring. But without a committed spirit it sits like a cold furnace. We need to get up and walk over to the thermostat and dial up what we desire the most, what the Lord has shown us—our hope. And that hope of an eternity with Jesus will also be left here on earth when our time comes to be called home.
Hope and Faith are partners. The partners we need here and now as the spiritual battles we face are only going to get tougher …
Mark 13:8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. NIV
Hope and faith are tools used by our teacher, the Holy Spirit, to lead and guide us into becoming all we were created to be and fulfill all that has been set before us. So hold on tightly to your hope in the promises of God, and follow after that hope with faith in the One who made the promises.”
If you would like a free electronic copy of The Foundations of Faith, just send me an email and I will be happy to send you a PDF copy … tom@walkwithgod.org